Love is a 4 Letter Word,Or Is It?
by kittymchale
Summary: Artie and Tina were perfect, why did it have to end? Pre-Season 2! Should I keep going with this story? Read and Review!
1. Slam

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee hahaha:)**

**Should I keep going on with this story? Let me know!**

I gripped the paper that rested on my lifeless lap. The words on the paper screamed in my ears and stained my eyes.

_ Artie,_

_ I am so sorry. It's just not going to work out between us. _

_ ~Tina_

There were blotches on the paper that looked like it had been out in the rain. Tears. Tears that had rolled down Tina's beautiful face and dropped on the paper that lay on my motionless hands. A pang of guilt surged through me. Why was I feeling guilty? She ended this. It was so amazing, so perfect. Why did she want us to part? I didn't move from my locker when the bell rang. Sitting frozen in front of the metal locker, my eyes welled up with tears. The pain of it all stabbed me forcefully. The memory of her soft, beautiful kisses, her perfect face, her amazing personality, it all broke my heart over and over. Tears streamed down my face rapidly. Yeah, this seemed like a girly thing to do, but I couldn't help it. Crumpling the paper and throwing it in the trash on the way, I wheeled myself down the hall and to the back door.

The back door of the school was the only entrance and exit with a ramp. It was the only way out for me. Angrily, I slammed the door and made my way down the ramp. I muttered curse words under my breath. I couldn't believe her. I pushed my wheels faster with increased anger. Before I knew it, I was going so fast I couldn't stop. My hands flew to the wheels to stop them. To make matters worse, I hit a hill. The downslope sped the wheels even further. Parking lot in front of me, I started to panic. The grassy hill didn't provide any friction for the rubber wheels. My heart pounded in my ears as I waited to hit something. I was so flustered, angry and betrayed I didn't care anymore. The momentum of the hill sent me skidding through the parking lot. A flash of blue appeared in front of me. Tina's car. A scream pierced my ears. My own scream. The world turned into grains of sand, shaking out of my view. The feeling of my body slipped away...

My body felt like it was filling up. Opening my eyes, the Earth pixelated into my sight. My neck itched. Reaching up to scratch it, I couldn't. A neck brace. My head pounded like 1000 bass drums. A woman who appeared to be a nurse fiddled with tubes that attached to my body. Sitting up slightly, I looked around, confused.

"Where am I?" I asked, hoarsely.

"Oh, Sweetie. You are at the hospital. You crashed your wheelchair into a car. You hit your head against the window, smashing it. Left a big dent, too. Good thing you were strapped in, you could have been airborne!" The nurse chuckled dryly.

I reached up to touch my forehead. It was wrapped in gauze. I felt like taking a bath.

"Go on in," An older doctor said, his voice sounded far away. Heels clicked rapidly toward me. It was Tina. She was sobbing uncontrolably.

"Oh, Artie! I'm so, so, so, so, so, sorry!" She choked out, wrapping her arms around me forcefully. Disoriented, I had to figure out what was going on. Why I was here in the first place. I felt like I was in a thick fog.

"Tina," I whispered. Tina started crying harder. She felt terrible. I felt terrible.

"Artie, It's all my fault..." She started, but couldn't finish.

"I love you, Tina," I said slowly.

"I'm sorry, Artie, I should have never come here," Tina sobbed, running out.

Great.


	2. Pathetic

My parents came to get me from the hospital a couple hours later. When my mom walked in, she started to bawl. The image of me, lying in pain, in a hospital, brought back terrible memories. I was in the hospital for about 2 weeks after the car crash when I was 8. My mom never left my side, sobbing the whole time. She muttered under her breath about it being her fault. I felt awful.

"Oh, Artie," My mom blubbered, "Are you okay?"

"Mom, I'm fine, it's all okay," I said softly, patting my mom's arms that were thrown around me. My dad stood on the other side of me, completley still. I guess the image didn't sit well with him either.

A young nurse with straight black hair walked in. She reminded me of Tina. I winced at the thought.

"Artie Abrams?" The nurse asked. I nodded my head.

"Are you ready to leave?" She inquired. I nodded again. The nurse set down her chart she was holding and walked over to me. Her name tag said, "Angela". Angela became engrossed in the tangle of tubes hooked up to me. She unhooked them delicately and unwrapped my neck brace.

"Steve? Can you help me over here?" Angela called. A man about the same age as Angela walked over curiously. He nodded his head.

"Can you help me lift him?" Angela asked. Her high voice reminded me of tinkling windchimes.

"No problem," Steve said, smiling broadly.

Angela put one arm around my neck and another on the small of my back. Steve mirrored her on the other side.

"One, Two, Three," Steve said, grunting. They lifted me up and put me smoothly in a bigger wheelchair than my previous one.

"Your chair was pretty much totaled in your accident," Angela said and chuckled. I nodded. Steve smiled at me and Angela and walked away. Angela told me I could keep the nice, new wheelchair. Angela handed my mom a white slip with notes scribbled on it.

"Medication, for the pain," Angela said and walked out. My dad stood behind me and started to push me out. My mother followed, tears still streaming down her face. My parents filled out more paperwork and we left the hospital.

The next morning, I woke up to my mom shaking me lightly. My eyes fluttered and I saw my mom's beeming face.

"Honey, I am going to work, Dad already left. I want you to stay home and relax today, okay? I left 2 pills on the counter for you to take when you get up. I love you, baby," My mom said. She kissed me softly on the forehead and left the room. I fumbled on the nightstand for my glasses. Finding them, I put them on sleepily. My new wheelchair was sitting idly next to my bed. I pulled myself to a sitting position. I rubbed my eyes under my glasses. Pulling my chair closer, I transferred myself from the bed to the wheelchair. I rolled across the room to get a shirt from my drawer. My head hurt, bad. It pounded, a mixture of pain from the accident and the pain Tina left behind. I left my room behind to go to the kitchen.

My mom assembled an intricate breakfast of pancakes and fruit. It resembled a carousel. It was so beautiful, I didn't want to wreck it by eating it. Next to the breakfast was a tiny cup with 2 orange pills in it. A messy note was scribbled down next to the cup.

_Artie,_

_ These are your pain pills, take them when you read this and then again at lunch time. _

_ Love you,_

_ Mom._

I took the pills, ate my breakfast and sat on the couch to watch a movie. I wanted to put on _Coming Home_, but I decided it would just hurt to think of Tina any more than I already was. My mom left the silver laptop next to the couch, so I grabbed it. I went on Facebook, just to see what was going on. I looked at the clock, it was 6:00 in the morning. No wonder no one was on. Scrolling through the feed, I saw the one thing that would send me spiraling into pain again.

Artie Abrams is single.

Thanks for reminding me, Assbook. I sat on the couch, frozen, trying not to think of her. Trying not to think of the times I have kissed her out in the sunshine, trying not to think of the times I gave her rides on my chair, trying not to think of the times I took her soft hand and her tinkly giggle would pierce the silent air. That hand isn't mine anymore. Those lips are going to be someone else's to kiss. Those giggles are reserved for someone else now. Cue the sad music. I am so pathetic.


	3. People

**you are super cute when you smile :)**

Chapter 3: People

By the time I sucked it up, put away the laptop and got dressed, it was 11:00 a.m. Tina was constantly on my mind. I could hear her voice, singing to me. I could hear her gossip about Quinn and Rachel. I could hear her steady breathing as she slept next to me. It never failed. It was like my tear ducts were in hyper mode. If Puck or any of the other guys at school saw me like this, I would be thrown into the dumpster and rolled down a hill into a pit of snakes.

My mom left a few bandages for my head on the bathroom sink, so I guess that was my cue to change the bandage that was wrapped snuggly around my head. I unraveled the gauze slowly, in case it hurt. It did. Bad. Getting a good look at the wound, it was a good thing they bandaged me up. The outsides were a mixture of pink and dried blood. I couldn't bear to look at it any longer. I dressed the gash quickly and rolled out of the bathroom.

I wheeled myself to the front door, where the ramp was. Opening the front door was always tricky for me. I had to quickly swing the door open and roll myself out as fast as a could. Grasping the knob firmly with one hand and grabbing my right wheel with the other, I prepared for take-off. I turned the knob and swiftly pushed myself out of the door. A ear-splitting crash pierced the air. I whipped my head around to see what it was. My mom's favorite flower pot. Marvelous. I had to leave it, it's not like I could make my way in to the narrow closet where the broom was. I attempted to escape the house again, this time succeeding, without breaking anything.

Finally making my way down the long ramp in front of my house, I left the cool shade of the trees. The sunshine washed over me. I started to push myself down the sidewalk toward the park. Always having Tina around, I didn't have to push myself around as I usually do. Tina would push me along, humming sweet tunes and leaning over occasionally to breathe, "I love you," into my ear. I love her, still. I loved the nights of us. Me, sitting on my couch, leaning on the arm and Tina, leaned with her head on my shoulder, her hand in mine. I loved how her fingers, midnight blue at the fingernails, tangled with mine and we would never let go. I would get lost in her deep chocolate eyes when she would look up at me, longingly. She stretch her neck up to me and gently touch her lips to mine. The world would dissapear. It would be just us and no one else. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Just us.

Once I reached the park, I was so tired, I couldn't move anymore. I sat idly, staring at the flowing water from the large stream in front of me. The water trickled through the rocks that caged it. A few small children were there, throwing smooth pebbles into it. The stream seemed to swallow the pebbles, never to be seen again. Sitting there and watching the various people in the park with me, I thought of something. It's an odd thing about people. When you are living your own life, you feel as if that is all that matters. The little things you do, the way you cut your sandwich, the way you brush your teeth, even the way you tie your shoes, is unique to you. You don't think about the other people and their habits. The secrets they have, the lives they lead, the lies they've told, the reason they picked what they are wearing, is all different. When you look at these people you think, "Stranger". You don't think ,"normal person". You never know who someone is until you know their past, present and future.

Shaking myself from the deep thought, I focused on generating enough energy to leave the park. As I started to roll toward the gate, a small child walked up to me. He was about 3 years old and had a sticky face. Ew.

"Are you half robot?" He asked in a curious voice. He ran his probably sticky fingers over the bars on my wheels. A tall woman with light blonde hair and too much makeup ran over and grabbed his hand.

"I am so sorry, he is just a little kid, don't mind him," She said apolegetically.

"It's okay, I am used to it," I replied, mumbling. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with sticky babies and irresponsible parents. The blonde pulled the kid away from me and gave me a smile. I smiled weakly back.

When I finally decided to leave, it was 3:30 p.m. Time must have really gotten away from me. I saw Mike, Finn, Puck and Matt walking around the park. I "overheard" some of their conversation.

"Puck, that's a bad idea, man," Finn said, crinkling his eyebrows together.

"Yeah, Puck, you never want to be "That Guy"," Matt added, making air quotes. I listened harder.

"I say you should go for it. We aren't going to be 16 forever," Mike defended.

"I don't know what you guys think the big deal is, I mean, I'm hot, She would go for Puckzilla. Plus, I love me some spicy Asian," Puck said, raising his eyebrows.

My heart felt like it was going to fall out of my butt. Tina. He was going for Tina. I have never felt such a mixture of pissed, upset, depressed, sad, and angry. I rolled over as fast as I could to them.

"Tina? You are going to ask out Tina?" I choked. Puck raised his eyebrows.

"What do you care, Wheels?" Puck asked.

"She just broke up with me! I still have feelings for her! She is mine!" I warbled.

"Well, obviously you are wasting your time chasing her again when it is competition between me, a hot, sexy, beast on the field and beast in the sheets, and a cripple. Who's she going to choose?" Puck said, leaning down like he was talking to a little kid.

That is when I did the worst possible thing I could have done at that moment.

I punched Puck in the face.


	4. Alone

**i think it is time you know, i love you :)**

Chapter 4: Alone

"DAMN!" Puck screeched. I have never heard him yell like that. A stream of profanities gushed out of Puck's mouth. So did blood. A lot of it. Puck turned away from me and spit out something. A tooth. I never knew I was that strong before.

"WHEELS! YOU ARE DEAD!" Puck screamed. Finn, Mike and Matt just stood there in amazement. I grabbed my wheels and prayed silently in my head. I pushed with all of my strength away from him. I was on an incline, just making it harder. Puck started to run after me, but still, sprinting, I was faster than him. I reached the top of the hill onto a sidewalk. At this point, my arms felt like boiled spaghetti noodles. I was tired, bushed, pooped. I just wanted to get home. That's when my hand slipped. My glove got caught into the wheel spokes. My other hand scrambled to let my tangled one free. Gaining footsteps slammed behind me. I twisted my head around. Puck, still running, blood dripping down his face onto his white shirt. I closed my eyes and prayed. Puck grabbed my wheelchair handlebars. He cursed loudly.

"THIS WILL TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH PUCKZILLA!" Puck howled. He turned my chair around to face traffic.

"Oh god, please no, Puck, you can have Tina, you can have my money, you can have my whole damn house, just don't, please don't," I begged, struggling for words. Puck turned me around the opposite way.

"Yeah, I am pissed off but I don't want you to die. You are going to live to tell the tale," Puck said, a hint of evil in his words. He started to run full speed toward the park. Back to where I punched him. He took off down the ramp and into the grassy field. Puck pulled something out of his pocket. Puck ripped off my glasses and the world went dark. A blindfold. I couldn't see at all.

"Yo, Finn! Matt! Mike!" Puck called. A clomp of feet and chuckles ran to me. With a low grunt, the guys picked up my wheelchair. I groaned. A plastic door creaked open. Port-O-Potty. Please, no. They lifted my chair into the Port-O-Potty and locked me in. It was pitch dark under the blindfold and awfully smelly. Panicking, I rammed my chair back and forth, trying to push the door open. I heard Puck howling with laughter outside. I started to tip. I counted the seconds. 1...2...3...4...5...6..7. The toilet slammed to the ground. With that, I started to roll. I sat, frozen in my seat. Liquid sloshed around my back, face and neck. My hair was whipping around my face. My back smashed back and forth in my chair with the rolling. The accident that put me in this chair was all I could think about. The rolling of the car. SLAM! The breaking of the windows. My mother's shreaks. It was unbearable. The rolling finally stopped. I heard nothing.

"LET ME OUT! PLEASE! LET ME OUT!" I warbled. No Puck, Finn, Matt or Mike. I lay motionlessly with my back on the ground, the door under me. I was in a pool of human waste. It sloshed with the momentum. My words fell on deaf ears. No one was around. I sobbed loudly and screeched so loudly, my voice was giving out. I looked at my watch after a while. 30 minutes in the Port-O-Potty. I screamed louder than ever.

"Who's in there?" a familiar voice asked. Mercedes. Praise the Lord, hallelujah and amen.

"Mercedes! Let me out, PLEASE!" I called.

"Artie? Oh, my god. Kurt! Help me!" Mercedes hollered. The pair pushed the Port-O-Potty upright and opened the door. The smell seeped into the air. Liquid poured out of the door. Kurt shuddered. Mercedes grabbed the handlebars and pulled me out. I started to sob, right in front of them.

"Artie, don't cry. Come on, we'll take you home," Mercedes comforted. I blubbered all about Tina, Puck, the Port-O-Potty, the accident, everything. Kurt and Mercedes listened intently, though I smelled awful.

Once I got home, I took a long shower. Kurt helped me, my mom usually does but she wasn't there. It was weird. Really weird. I had no choice. It would have been weirder with Mercedes, though. At least it's nothing Kurt hasn't seen before. It was so awkward.

While I showered, Mercedes cleaned up my chair. We all went out into the living room and turned on a movie. Mercedes sat next to me on my right and Kurt on my left. We all ate ice cream and talked. Tina was out of my world now and I had to adapt without her. Mercedes and Kurt decided to stay, I think because they didn't want me punching anyone else. Kurt did congratulate me on beating up and Neanderthal, though. We all eventually fell asleep on the couch.

A dream welcomed me.

_ Tina swirled herself around in a beautiful blue dress. It matched her streaks. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun that rested on the back of her head. One blue streak hung in her eyes. As I reached up to sweep it out of her eyes, she kissed me. The world stopped turning and we were floating toward the sky. Only when she stopped did we fall back down to earth. She pulled away hastily and silent tears began to drip down her face. I wrapped my arms around her and she pushed me away. Puck showed up under the beautiful night sky, dressed up with stars. Puck grabbed Tina's other hand, the one that wasn't rested in mine. Tina turned to Puck and the tears stopped flowing. She turned to me and she didn't look like MY Tina anymore. Her eyes had a different sparkle in them, one reserved for Puck. Puck kissed her hand and she swooned. Tina started to walk away, her hand slipping from mine. My face was twisted with pain. Her hand fell, and away she went. Leaving me under the night stars. The grass slipped from under me, the sky was pulled away. I couldn't see. Pitch darkness. I felt a kiss on my forehead. I reached up to feel who it was, and they were gone. I was in a deep abyss of nothingness. Alone._

I woke up with a start, gasping for air. Mercedes and Kurt still were in a silent slumber. I ruffled my hair and shifted myself into my chair. I wheeled myself over into the kitchen. My glasses sat on the counter, the light bouncing off of them. A note was resting next to it.

_Artie._

_ Sorry._

_ ~Puck._

How apolegetic is he? There were muddy footprints on the kitchen floor. Puck's familiar shoe pattern and one I recognized as well. Tina's Converse. I know they were hers because we carved her initials in the bottom. "T.C."'s stared up at me. It was her. The kiss on the forehead. She was here with Puck. Ugh.


	5. Tears

**Words can not express how happy you make me :)**

Chapter 5: Tears

My mouth hung open in awe at the floor. It screamed at me. It mocked me.

"You're out of her life, Artie! GET OVER HER! SHE'S OVER YOU!" The footprints howled. A few quiet tears escaped my eyes. I slumped over and rubbed my eyes. I can't grasp her being gone. I can't handle Puck being in her life, and me in the dark. A brick wall was between me and her. Puck was the wall. The wall that had to be knocked down and blown up. Mercedes walked in groggily, yawning. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, hoping she wouldn't notice. She saw the floor and gasped slightly. Her warm hand rested on my back.

"Artie," Mercedes said softly,"You don't deserve this." She picked up the note, crumpled it up and threw it away. I sat, unmoving, while Mercedes took a mop from the narrow closet and wiped up the shrieking footprints. Tears still spilled down my face as my chin trembled out of control. Mercedes put the mop back into the closet and walked over to me. Her eyebrows crinkled together in sorrow. She wrapped her arms around me. Not romantically, but in apology. Apology for something that wasn't her fault. She felt terrible. Join the club. Pulling away slowly, she whispered, "I'm sorry," and walked out of the kitchen. I felt numb. There was no evidence left that anything ever happened, just like in Tina's heart.

It was 5:00 in the morning, on a Saturday. I don't even know what to do with myself. There is no where to go, no one to see. Tina clouds up my thoughts, like rain on a spring day. I felt like a pencil mark that didn't belong, just erased and forgotten. Kurt and Mercedes stayed all weekend. I needed them. They were my rocks right now, the only people I could trust. We sang, danced, talked, watched movies, took walks, basically anything to keep my mind off of Tina. It worked to an extent. Every girl I saw, in movies, on the street, anywhere, I compared to Tina. How close their hair colors were, the choice of clothes, even the little habits, made me compare them.

Monday morning. Great. Anxiety crashed over me like a wave. The waves kept coming at me. Mercedes and Kurt left Sunday night, so there was no one to pull me back down to Earth. My mom drove me to school. Rolling into the building, motivational posters laughed at me. Posters for the prom, filled with smiles and love, kicked me in the stomach. My dream prom fantasy was thrown into the trash can. Me and Tina. Both of us under the beautiful twinkling lights, softly kissing, wrapped up in the light music. That was Puck in my place now. His hands would be tangled with hers. His lips would be moving with hers. His eyes would be lingering on her now. I tried to shake the thought from my head, but it was carved into my mind. All the details of my perfect prom were replaced by Puck.

I rolled to my locker, the place that got me into the position I am now, to get my things. A few lockers away, Tina was leaning against beige paint, one leg extended, the other folded and resting where her other knee lay. Puck was in front of her, holding one hand lazily down and the other up by his shoulder. She was giggling uncontrollably as Puck talked to her. He was smiling and laughing a deep chortle. He turned his head to me, made a lopsided, devious smile and leaned in to kiss Tina. It was a long, lingering kiss. Tina closed her eyes, her eyebrows relaxed. The sides of her lips were upturned slightly as she deeply pressed them to his. A surge of pain electrocuted me. All the loving feelings I had for the girl that was with a different guy, rushed back to me. The pain left an awful taste in my mouth. I hated him. I hated him for all he has done to me. But, I couldn't hate Tina. No matter what, I still loved her. I pushed my chair toward the classroom I had to be in, which happen to be their way. Puck pulled away and pivoted himself around as fast as he could. Puck grunted and pushed the side of my wheelchair. It flipped over on it's left side and started to skid down the hallway. The buckles holding me in let out on my chair and I flew out of the chair. I flopped around like a dead fish. My head bounced around painfully.

"Woops." Puck said, chuckling. Tina's mouth popped into a wide "O".

"Puck," She whispered, breathlessly. The chair stopped skidding a few feet ahead of me. I stopped on my left side, my legs laying, lifeless, on the cold granite. My head was throbbing. Groaning on the floor, people stood in awe. Tina stood, paralyzed, looking at me. Her eyes were stuck open. Puck was dying with laughter. Black skid marks were drawn on the white floor. A lonely wheel lay near me. An ice cold liquid slapped me in the side. Puck stood near me, empty slushie cup, "BIG GULP" unmistakenably written on the side. Blue slushie dripped over my white shirt and onto my face. Puck threw the cup at me and took out his phone. Picture after picture was snapped. I felt like a helpless child. I couldn't stand up to get my chair, let alone move from the spot I was in. The worst part was, no one would stop him. Puck was a terrible monster, terrorizing our sad Ohio town. At last, Mr. Schuester ran down the hallway with the school nurse.

"PUCK! TO THE OFFICE! NOW!" He yelled, running over to me, "Artie, hang in there, don't worry." Puck laughed and casually walked down the hallway, "tripping" over me on the way. Finn met up with him before he could make it down the hall.

"What the hell's wrong with you, dude? You already caused him enough pain, man!" Finn raged. Puck chuckled and passed Finn like he wasn't there. Finn bounded down the hall to retrieve my chair and the lost wheel.

"Don't worry, Artie, I got this," Finn assured, taking the lost parts with him. Mr. Schue and the nurse rolled me onto my back. Holding onto my shoulders and the small of my back, just like Angela and Steve did, they propped me against someone's locker. Tina ran away once Puck hit me with the slushie. I didn't speak. The words wouldn't come out. Finn sprinted out, my chair fixed. I smiled weakly at him as he lifted me up, effortlessly, into the repaired chair.

"He's gonna pay, Artie," Mr. Schuester said, Finn nodding in agreement.

"I'm fine, just let me go clean up," I lied. My head, shoulders, back, my whole upper body throbbed. The emotional pain was a million times worse. It was like I lay down on the sun. The nurse nodded and made her way down the hall. Mr. Schuester ruffled his eyebrows. He patted me on the shoulder and walked away. Finn started to push me silently toward the bathroom. I sat quietly, being sure not to cry, which is all I wanted to do.


	6. Shaken

**thank you :)**

Chapter 6: Shaken

Sticky, blue ice rained down my face as Finn pushed me, his lips zipped shut. We entered the bathroom and he wheeled me over to a sink.

"Do you have any extra clothes?" Finn asked, murmuring.

"Yeah, in my locker," I replied, quickly and dryly, "Number 341, combination is 12-32-5." Finn nodded and left me in the bathroom. You always had to have extra clothes when you were in Glee club. Being slushied was always possible.

Finn wasn't on the top list of people I would like to be all "buddy-buddy" with. He is, or at least _was_ Puck's best friend and he was the one who lifted me into the Port-O-Potty. I didn't even want to think about that. I felt so broken. Damaged goods. That's what I was. God, I felt like such a girl. Break-up or not, I cried way too much. Even then, my pained tears mixed with the cheap slushie on my crumpled face. My lip quivered and I shook from the cold. I leaned forward, my hands folded across my stomach and cried into my lap. I heard the bathroom door creak. I sat up as fast as I could, quickly trying to pull myself together. Finn stopped in his tracks, his feet glued to the speckled floor. My extra clothes were folded neatly on his hand.

"Dude, look. I'm sorry. I don't agree with the stuff Puck does, even though some of the ideas he comes up with are pretty cool to watch. I'm sorry, man. I didn't want you to get this hurt, I just thought Puck was going to maybe cuss you out or something, not roll you down a hill. But, If I know he'll kick my ass if I don't do what he says," Finn attempted to apologize. I had to hand it to him, it took guts to stand up to Puck and apologize, even if it was as lame as that one. His face was twisted in apology. He really meant it. I had to forgive him, no matter how hard I tried not to. I gave him a weak smile. Finn's face lit up like a 4 year old on Christmas.

"Let me help you clean up," Finn said.

After Finn helped me wash my hair, I got dressed. I needed some help with my black dress pants and bright red suspenders, but other than that, I pretty much can do it on my own. Finn washed my stained glasses while I got dressed. As he scrubbed the black frames, he tried to make conversation.

"I think we should be friends, dude," Finn said,"I mean, you are pretty cool. I don't know why I have been hanging around Puck all these years." Sure, Finn could be a little dumb sometimes, but I think he could be pretty cool, too. At the same time, he probably just felt bad for me. I emerged from the stall. Finn gave me my glasses. He kind of made them a smudgy mess.

"Thanks," I said, half-smiling. Once I washed them over again, Finn wheeled me to class. He gave me a broad smile and bounded away.

During class, two girls, one with long brown hair and matching eyes, the other with dark red hair and green eyes, were whispering and pointing at me. The had a cell phone and looked really confused. They walked over to me.

"Are you Artie Abrams?" The redhead asked. Her voice reminded me of a kitten. I nodded. The brunette gasped and gave me a tight, long hug. The red head did the same.

"Did you see the picture?" The brunette asked when she let go.

"W-what picture?" I stammered, my eyebrows drawn together. The redhead clicked feverishly through her phone.

"This one!" She exclaimed. She shoved her phone in my face. The image stole my breath from my lungs. A familiar blue car, wrecked beyond repair. It looked like a battering ram was taken to the side of it. The window was smashed in, small fragments of glass still stood up on the bottom. Large, shiny pieces lay on the pavement. The dent was strangely circular on the bottom. That's when it all clicked. That was _my_ dent. I did that. Tina's car, destroyed. My mouth hung open.

"I'm so sorry, Artie," The redhead said, gave me another quick hug and walked away, the brunette following her like a lost puppy. She stared back at me for a second and turned back around. I have gotten bruised, beaten, tossed around and thrown out of my wheelchair in a timespan of 3 days. Jeez. I think I made of steel.

Lunchtime. Kurt and Mercedes met me at my locker after class. They had no idea what happened earlier. I told them the whole story, even the part about Finn, who met us in the hallway. Finn walked with us awkwardly as I told the story of the incident. He hung his head, still thinking it was his fault. We sat all together at a small, circular table. The seat that used to be filled by Tina grabbed my eyes. My heart ached for the empty spot. Finn saw me gaze at the lonely chair and patted me slowly on the shoulder. I looked over at him. He smiled a small, tight-lipped smile. Mercedes absentmindedly twirled the ends of her dark hair. Kurt fiddled with the buttons on his sweater. They all sat there uncomfortably. Squirming in his seat, Finn broke the silence.

"So...what are you guys doing after school?"

"Uhh, I think me and Kurt were going to hit the mall. You guys want in?" Mercedes asked.

"Sure, I'm in," I responded. I thought I could use a good distraction from Puck and Tina. Mercedes smiled brightly at me. She was glad I was at least acting happy and not all...bummy. Kurt smiled, too. Finn said he would go, too, even though I knew he didn't really want to. It was nice to have such a good group of friends. Kurt started telling a story about some mall encounter or something and I gazed past him. The table behind him was occupied by Tina and Puck. I heard Puck say something about in-school suspension. In-school? Only in-school? Tina looked a little irked about something. Puck played with her hair as he talked to her. They both stared at eachother for a second and Tina half-smiled. The adorable half-smile that she used to give me. Puck leaned his face in to kiss her. Tina rested her hand half on his head, the other half on his neck. She kissed him tenderly and gently, a kiss that meant a lot. The kind of kiss that meant romance. The kind that sent you spiraling into space. Tina released the kiss slowly, beaming. He smiled a crooked smile back. My stomach flipped upside down. My heart broke again and again. The more she smiled, the more it cracked.

"Artie," Kurt demanded. My head snapped to him. My face was twisted in pain and he could tell. Mercedes shifted in her seat.

"Want to go with me really quick?" Finn asked, "I want some Sour Patch Kids." I nodded to him. Finn stood up, stretched, and grabbed my handlebars. As he pulled me backward, Puck noticed me. He flipped me off. I hung my head, trying not to look at him. Tina scoffed and pulled Puck's hand down. Finn must not have noticed, because he didn't mention Puck at all. Tina didn't care about me, she just had a bit respect for the people around her. I shook my head. I was so humiliated.

Finn got his Sour Patch Kids, suprisingly from his locker. His locker was so random, half candy store and half pictures of girls in bikinis. The locker just screamed "High School Boy". He tossed me a small, crinkly package of Twizzlers. I ate the chewy candy as Finn chattered about a ninja T.V. show he saw. When we got back to the lunchroom, Tina and Puck were holding hands subtly under the table and giving eachother soft, silent kisses. Oddly, just seeing them look at eachother hurt the most.

When school finally let out, Finn met me at my locker.

"So, I guess Puck got off with lousy in-school suspension. He needs to pay!" Finn raged, kicking the metal locker next to mine. Finn had a tendency to kick things when he got angry.

"Finn, I appreciate your concern, but I think it would be better if you stayed out of it," I said. Finn's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"But, he's not going to stop! He needs to be beaten until he's to scared to touch anyone every again!" Finn yelled again, making a fist in the air.

"Listen, if you beat him up, he is just going to come back at me worse than ever before and I am deathly afraid of him, so just please, stay out of it," I explained. Finn scoffed.

"How can you even say that? He rolled you down a hill, pushed you across the hallway and even worse, slushied you while you are down! How are you not pissed?" Finn raised his voice even higher.

"Finn, please," I added.

"Fine," Finn mumbled. I half smiled as Finn started to push me down the hall. We were taking Kurt's car to the mall. Maybe I could pick out a nice bowtie or something. Meeting us down the hall, Kurt and Mercedes were blabbing about some new collection that was supposed to have arrived at the only mall near our town. I could feel Finn rolling his eyes behind me. Mercedes abruptly stopped talking and cleared her throat. I looked over at her. She flicked her head toward the right. Tina was walking toward me.

"Hold on, guys," I said, wheeling toward Tina. Mercedes, Kurt and Finn kept walking toward the door.

"We'll be outside," Finn called. I nodded.

"Artie, I am so sorry," Tina said, a twinge of pain in her voice, "for all Puck has done to you. I heard you punched him."

"Yeah, so that gives him the right to roll me down a hill in a Port-O-Potty, push me down and slushie me?" I spat.

"No, and I feel terrible for it, but I can't control what he does," Tina added.

"I just have one question, Tina. Why the hell are you dating _Puck_?" I asked her, angrily.

"Oh, Artie, GROW UP! He can be really sweet and a great boyfriend, not to mention really good looking," Tina replied, crossing her arms and resting all her weight on one foot. Ouch.

"So, I wasn't enough for you? Not sweet enough, not _hot_ enough for you?" I raged.

"Jeez, Artie. GET OVER IT! Puck is my boyfriend now! He makes me happy! Suprises me, twirls me around, dances with me, makes me feel special!" Tina yelled at me.

"Oh, sorry, Tina. I will try harder at standing up next time," I said sarcastically.

"Wait, Artie, that's not what I meant-" Tina started.

"Save it," I replied, wheeling away from her. I couldn't believe her. Yeah, my mind was probably clouded with anger, but that hurt, a lot.

I pushed past the doors of the school, meeting my friends outiside of the school. Mercedes opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off.

"Can we just go?" I asked. I was so angry, I didn't really care where we went. First conversation, post-breakup, went amazingly. Just marvelous.


	7. Suits

**you are cuter than a newborn lab puppy.**

Chapter 7: Suits

A soft rain drizzled down on us. Piles of dead leaves from the fall were mixed in with the unmelted slush from the winter. Rain dripped on the slush, leaving small holes. Wheel trails followed me as Finn pushed. Silence hung thick in the air. Behind me, Finn snorted, breaking the silence.

"Drizzle," he said, amused, and snorted again. Mercedes arched her eyebrow at him.

"Nothing," Finn added. People were scattered around the parking lot, socializing with friends, kissing their lovers and leaning against their cars, showing off. Puck was reclining on the hood of his car. He chuckled.

"Hangin' around cripple boy now, huh?" Puck questioned Finn. Mercedes scowled and walked over to him. The word deflated me like a unwanted balloon. My heart started to pound in my head. My breath quickened. Sitting nervously, I twiddled my thumbs. I looked at the wet pavement to avoid his judgy, mocking eyes.

"Back off my friends, got it Puckerman?" Mercedes said, snapping in his face.

"Whatcha gonna do? Sit on me?" Puck chortled. Mercedes scoffed and crossed her arms.

"What are you, in preschool? You sound like a little kid," Mercedes replied.

"I can't help that you guys are a band of freaks," Puck said, chewing his gum loudly. Rain was dripping all over us. Kurt had left a while ago, afraid to get his sweater wet. Finn made a deep grunting noise that kind of sounded like a dog growl. I looked up at him. His nostrils were flaring, his big hands gripping the wheelchair handlebars so tightly that his knuckles were white. Finn's feet were glued to the pavement again, afraid to move. Puck's ego suffocated me. He arched his eyebrow further and scooted back on his car hood. His smirk mocked me. I wanted to say something, but the words were trapped in my throat.

"Freaks?" Mercedes laughed, "Are we the ones who rolled a guy down a hill in a Port-O-Potty? Are we the ones who sent Artie skidding down the hallway, making him fly out? Are we the ones who _slushied_ him while he was down? Invest in a mirror. Maybe you will see who the real freak is," Mercedes said. She "hmmphed" and walked away from him. A held-in breath blew out of Finn forcefully. Finn and Mercedes high-fived.

"Fierce," Finn said, chuckling. Mercedes beamed. Puck's eyes burned the back of my head. I could feel his scowl following me to Kurt's car. The rain softly kissed my face as I finally looked up. Finn shook my shoulder softly.

"I'm sorry, man-" He started.

"Not your fault. I am not the grand master of the pity parade," I cut him off. Finn half-smiled at me. Finn's bubbliness filled the air. Pushing my wheelchair happily, we reached Kurt's car. His car was so clean, it looked newer and newer everytime I saw it. Finn's beefy hands fumbled with the wheelchair lock behind me. His tounge hung out the side of his mouth, concentrating on the "complicated" lock. Once he got it, Finn came around to the front of me. He's done this quite a few times before, during glee club. Unbuckling me swiftly, Finn shoved one hand behind the middle of my back and the other under my knees. Picking me up easily, He shifted me into Kurt's sparkling car. I buckled myself into the single leather seat. The inside was scented softly of vanilla. Mercedes was already describing every detail from the encounter a few minutes ago. Kurt's eyes were opened wide and his mouth was hung open. Mercedes used dramatic hand movements in her descriptions. Once Mercedes was done, Kurt shifted his hands to the steering wheel and we escaped the parking lot.

Gentle music caressed my ears as I leaned my head back in the silky seat. The lyrics wrapped around me.

_And all of the angels, they'd sell off your soul_

_ For a set of new wings and anything gold_

_ They remember the people they loved, their old friends_

_ And I've seen through them all, seen through them all_

_ And seen through most everything._

My eyes fluttered closed as Finn hummed quietly to himself. I thought about Tina. Her heart-wrenching words. The pain slapped me in the face again and again. "Jeez, Artie. GET OVER IT! Puck is my boyfriend now! He makes me happy! Suprises me, twirls me around, dances with me, makes me feel special!" Tina's words replayed in my head. A few lonely tears broke free from my eyes. The silent drops rolled down my eyes, never to be found again. Just like Tina's beautiful love, never to be felt again. I opened my eyes hesitantly and raised my tired hand to wipe the salty substance away. The tears retreated into my white shirt. I stared out the window, watching the slow rain fall on the strangers I'd never see again.

Pulling into the parking lot, Kurt got extremely excited. Finn helped me out of the car, lips sewed together. Kurt hooked his arm with Mercedes'. Mercedes smiled the smile that only she could. Kurt stopped walking and turned around to me.

"Um, Artie, I know this is probably very touchy for you...but, do you want to go to prom with Mercedes and I? I know it's not our class prom, but we are allowed to go. Please?" Kurt begged, drawing his eyebrows together pleadingly. He tilted his head and shifted his weight to one leg. Kurt clasped his hands together, begging. Well, it wouldn't be how I wanted it, but there is no use being a hermit.

"Sure, I'll go. No use sitting at home, right?" I said, acting cheerily. I was actually pretty happy that they asked, it'll be fun. Kurt made a throaty noise that sounded kind of like a "squee". Mercedes clapped her hands rapidly. Finn smirked.

"Am I invited to this party?" Finn asked, crossing his arms. Kurt half-smiled.

"Of course, Finn. I didn't think you would want to go with us when you could be going with...nevermind," Kurt said, stopping himself. It took him a minute to recall that Rachel was dating Jesse now. Finn's smile twisted into a pained expression. Finn still loved Rachel, I could tell. This time, I reached up and patted him on his back. Finn was too tall to reach his shoulder. He shaped his lips into a small smile. Walking back behind me, we escaped the cold rain.

Deciding to split up, Mercedes went with Finn to pick out a tuxedo and Kurt went with me. Kurt told me that Finn and I are both "fashionably challenged". Finn waved happily to us as Mercedes dragged him away. Kurt pushed me my wheelchair against the cold tile of the mall. We were on the second floor, surrounded by stores of all different kinds. People scattered around us, skinny girls with swooping bangs and tight jeans, an old couple holding hands, smiling in unison, mothers with children attempting to break free of their steel grips. I watched the people interact around me. Kurt found a suit shop on the opposite side of the mall. "Snazzman's Suits" was written in large, glowing letters above the shop. Kurt pushed me into the shop and started to swoon over the different suits. Looking around for a long while, I picked out a suit, finally. It was a simple gray one, which I matched with a bright yellow tie. As I tried one on, Kurt sat outside of the dressing room stall I was in.

"You know Artie, I really admire you," Kurt said, "You are a really cool guy."

"What do you mean?" I replied, confused as to what he was talking about.

"Things are hard for you, and you just keep moving on. I wish I had the strength you have," Kurt added. I smiled quietly to myself.

"I think you are pretty cool yourself, Kurt," I stated, "I really appreciate the help you and Mercedes have been giving me." With that, I emerged from the ugly stall. Kurt beamed.

"I think it suits you well, no pun intended. It goes well with your skin tone," Kurt said. I stretched my lips into a smile.

The suit fit pretty well, so I didn't need to get it fitted. Kurt decided on a midnight black suit with a matching vest under. We set up to rent the suits and met up with Mercedes and Finn. Finn got a dark grey suit with a matching tie. Mercedes pre-ordered her dress, so didn't buy one. After wandering around the mall for a while,Kurt and Mercedes locked arms again and we made our way back to Kurt's beautiful car. Kurt hummed as he walked in unison with Mercedes. At that very moment, I thought life could be okay for a while with friends like these, at least until prom.

**song is "Bankrupt on Selling" by Modest Mouse. it's very very good. **

**p.s. this isn't the end!**


	8. Boxes

**have a good dayyyy :)**

Chapter 8: Boxes

After shopping, Kurt dropped Mercedes off at her house. Her house was beautiful. It was a two-story, strawberry colored home, a garden clinging to the edges. Mercedes waved to us as she walked down the stony path, dotted with flower pots. Kurt waved back eagerly, a smile stretched across his pale face. Finn waved, too, just as animated as Kurt. Finn turned to me and started to chatter exuberantly about girl's mud wrestling.

"You are such a boy," Kurt scoffed, rolling his eyes. He ran his fingers through his perfectly styled hair. Finn raised his eyebrows and peeked over at me. The second he looked at me, he lost it. Finn's body shook with laughter. His hand flew up to his mouth, trying to muffle his powerful chuckle. Watching him giggle, I couldn't help but laugh with him. It was contagious.

"I swear, you two are like little kids," Kurt added, snorting.

"The little kids you love," Finn laughed. Kurt let out a big breath and gazed at the two of us with a stony face. Swaying with chuckles, Kurt broke his severe look and nodded. Finn shook Kurt's shoulder playfully and laughed harder.

"Okay, okay," Kurt said between laughter fits, "I have to focus on the road." Finn continued to buzz about random things, candy, teachers, tigers and laundry. Kurt shook his head and drove to my house.

"You guys want to come in for a while?" I inquired as Kurt smoothly pulled up to my driveway.

"Sure, I'll stay," Finn replied, half-smiling.

"Artie, I would love to stay, but I promised I'd come right home after shopping. I'll see you tomorrow, guys," Kurt said, scrunching up his eyebrows. Finn helped me get out of the car and Kurt pulled away.

"Whoa, wait. Finn, how are you going to get home?" I asked him quickly.

"Oh, gosh, umm...when will your parents be home?" Finn wondered.

"Hmm, my mom will be home at seven," I replied, scratching the back of my head.

"Okay, do you think your mom could drive me to the school, I kind of left my car there," Finn said back, breathing a small laugh.

"I'm sure she would, she just has no idea we are kind of friends now," I responded, Finn's face twisting in confusion.

"Kind of?" Finn inquired, "I thought we were best bros for life now!"

"Okay, sorry, best bros for life," I replied, chuckling. The rain started to fall again. I tilted my head to the sky, rain dropping onto my tired face. Finn gripped on to my handlebars, and pushed me up the gentle incline to get into the dry shelter of my home.

"Want some food?" I queried. Finn's face brightened. I pointed toward the kitchen.

"Thanks," Finn said, smiling.

"I'll be up in my room," I called, wheeling toward the long hallway.

Entering my room, I noticed a medium-sized box on my floor. It was brown and was worn at the handles, like it had been carried for a over to it curiously, I noticed the word "love" scrawled across the top. Opening the box slowly, items started to spill out the sides. Getting a good look at the contents, I tried to process what was going on. Ribbons wrapped around homemade Valentine's day cards, short love notes written messily on scrap paper, a C.D. with "For You" scribbled in black permanent marker on it, pictures of various nights. My breath was stolen out of my lungs. My heart cried out in pain. All of the memories glowed hot with agony. All things I gave to Tina. She kept it all. One note I remembered at once.

_To: Miss Tina Cohen-Chang_

_ Dear Tina,_

_ I know you don't really know me as well as I'd like, but I appreciate every moment we spend together. Getting to know you like I do has been perfect. I don't really know how to say this, but, I really like you, Tina. It would mean the world to me to hear back. Maybe we could go on a date or something? Sorry for the crappy letter. Here is a drawing of a rose to make up for it._

_ ~Artie Abrams_

A tiny picture of a rose was scribbled near the writing. I remember the day perfectly. We were sitting in Algebra. Tina absentmindedly twirled the tips of her blue streaks as she doodled small smiley faces on her paper. The teacher drawled on about variables. Gazing over at her, I made up my mind. Ripping a piece of paper out of my notebook and wrote a messy note for her. As soon as class let out, I sat near Tina's locker, waiting for her to slam it closed and walk away. The second she walked away, I shoved the crappy letter into the beige locker, fraying the edges. The next class was intense, waiting for her to read it. It was the last class of the day, so I wouldn't know until the next day. The next day, I got to school and Tina planted a soft kiss on my lips. My eyes popped open as far as they would go.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Tina gushed. As happy as can be, the rest of the day felt like a dream.

I can't believe she kept all of these things. More importantly, why was this box laying silently on my bedroom floor? All of the objects belonged to her, from me. A picture caught my eye. Tina and I were both leaning against the back of the couch, holding eachother's hands. We were sitting so close, our cheeks were touching. Our hands were on our cheeks, looking at the camera. Our smiles were huge and dramatic, the picture just laughing as you looked at it.

I remember making all of the components of the box. Each individual piece held a memory hand in hand. I sat slumped over the box, dumbfounded. A crinkling of wrappers forced me to look up from the memories. Finn's mouth hung open, both hands filled with food.

"I, uhh, brought you up a, umm, juice box," Finn said hesitantly, tossing me the juice box. The box started to scream at me. Trying to shut it up, I crashed the cardboard lid on it.

"What was that?" Finn questioned, dropping his food onto my bed.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, holding back the flood that was generating behind my eyes.

"Look, Artie, you can talk to me. I think you are really nice, genuine friend and you can trust me. I know what you are going through and you can trust me," Finn said awkwardly, scratching his neck noisily. I picked up the box and handed it to Finn. He pulled up the muffling lid and gasped quietly.

"Oh, my God," Finn whispered, shuffling through the pieces of the box, "Did Tina come here?"

"I guess, how else would it be here," I replied, gluing my eyes to the hardwood floor. Finn moved around the pieces, picking up a note or two. Suddenly, he got up and moved the box outside of my room.

"Artie, you don't need that poison in your life. I know it hurts, but you have your friends and everything will work out okay," Finn said. I nodded, still looking at the floor. Finn sighed and bent down. Finn then did something I didn't excpect at all, he gave me a hug in sympathy. It was awkward, but Finn's arms were comforting.

"I know how you feel," Finn said, pulling away,"You can come to me anytime, man, friends are there for eachother." Half-smiling, I really felt what Finn was trying to say. His words comforted me, no matter how awkwardly they were said. The screaming from the box subsided, silenced by Finn's nice words.

**(more to come!)**


	9. Bracelets

**i hope you enjoy it:)**

Chapter 9: Bracelet

Finn and I ignored the box from then. He plopped down on my bed, quickly eating the food he brought in.

"I have never been in your house. It's pretty nice," Finn said, muffled by the cookie he was chewing, "I should come here more often." I sipped at the juice box Finn tossed me earlier. He had already drank a couple of them. Finishing off the last of the food he had grabbed in his arms, Finn sprawled out over my dark green bedspread. Yawning, he grabbed the stress ball that was resting on floor next to my bed. He tossed it up in the air idly as we talked about things. Tina and Rachel mostly. It was hard to talk about, but I have to say it helped.

"I don't know, for a while, Rachel seemed to really be in to me, y'know? Now she's off with that Jesse kid. There is something not right about him, like he's plotting something, and I don't like it," Finn said forcefully.

"Me too, man! I know there is something up with him! He's so, I don't know, he doesn't act natural around her. It seems like he is just really uptight, or just not into her," I replied. Finn tossed the ball to me.

"So, I don't mean to make things worse here but, what _did_ happen between you and Tina?" Finn inquired, catching the ball I threw back to him.

"To be honest, I don't know. You know how I got into that accident where I smashed into the side of her car? That's because Tina gave me a note, a break-up note," I said, twidling my fingers again, "I was so mad, I pushed myself too hard down the hill. After that, she started to date Puck." Finn cringed at the name.

"I'm sorry, dude. I had no idea," Finn added, throwing the squishy ball back to me.

"I'm sorry about you and Rachel. Girls are, I don't know, you need to be very up front, no mind games. You need to tell Rachel how you feel. But, I shouldn't be the one giving advice, I was always up front with Tina and she dumped me," I told him, breathing a dry laugh at the end.

"I just really miss her and it hurts to think about her with another dude," Finn choked, his voice breaking a little bit. Hidden tears escaped Finn's eyes. Wiping them away quickly, Finn acted like it never happened.

"I know," I muttered, trying to comfort him.

Dusting off the emotional bit, Finn and I played _Halo_ and chatted until my mom got home.

"Artie? Are you home?" My mom called from the kitchen. Grocery bags rustled on the counter. I could hear cans clang on the hard marble.

"In my room, mom!" I yelled back, pressing buttons furiously on the controller. Finn's tounge poked out the side of his mouth in concentration. My mom's heels clicked down the hallway and into my room.

"Jeez, Artie, how much do you eat?" My mom said, swinging her head toward the mess of wrappers that lay on my bed.

"Hi, Mrs. Abrams," Finn said, not turning his head from the game.

"Oh, hi...um..-" My mom started. She shifted her weight to one leg,

"Finn," I added.

"Finn. Nice to meet you," My mom said, smiling brightly. Finishing the game quickly, my mom glanced over to the right corner of my room. Her eyes flew open wide.

"Oh, Artie! A suit? You are going to prom?" My mom gushed. She started blabbing about plans, shoes, girls, and dresses as she ran her hands up and down the rental suit.

"Mom," I cut her off, "I am just going with friends." My mom snapped her mouth shut awkwardly. She let out a quick breath.

"Well, still, I am excited for you," She added, hugging me tightly to her. Patting her back slowly, my mom pranced out of the room again.

"Aww, Awtie wuvs his mommy," Finn said, sticking out his lip like he was talking to a baby. I playfully punched the side of his arm. Finn chuckled and got up. Stretching out and yawning again, he gazed over at the clock. "8:14" glowed in bright letters.

"Ugh, I have to get home," Finn groaned.

"Help me up," I said, stretching up my arms. I transferred myself into a firm bean bag a while ago and I always had trouble getting out. Finn swifty shifted me into my wheelchair. Squeaking quietly, Finn pushed me down the hall. The hall to my bedroom had bright white walls and was dotted with pictures of my childhood. Smiling faces of me and my older sister shone down on us. Giggling pictures of me swinging on a swingset, running around the yard, walking our late dog, Simba. Simba died last year at 10 years old. Finn glanced at all of the pictures quickly, trying not to draw attention to himself.

My mom was swallowed by the fluffy couch in the living room, flipping through the channels.

"Mom, do you think we could drive Finn to the school?" I asked her, twisting my lips to the side.

"Okay, I guess," My mom replied, annoyed. She sat up slowly, throwing on a pair of slippers. Her hand flew to her back the moment she got up.

"Are you okay, Mom?" I inquired. Her head turned to me.

"Yeah, just a little strained from work is all," She lied. I looked at her hand. A hospital bracelet.

"Mom, why were you in the hospital?" I raged, "Why did you lie to me! WHAT IS GOING ON!"

"Artie, Artie, calm down," She said, hushing me. My breath quickened. She gave me a hug and continued, " Well today, I went to work and everything was normal. My stomach started to feel queasy, but I wasn't running a fever or anything. My back was also killing me. Nancy, one of my co-workers, gave me a ride to the hospital. I kind of wanted your dad to know first, but I'm pregnant again." My mouth hung open. My breath was restored back to normal. Finn jumped up and down widly.

"A BABY! A REAL, LIVE BABY!" Finn said excitedly. I couldn't believe it. A new sibling. My body tingled with happiness.

"How far along are you?" I asked, amazed.

"The doctor said I am about 6 months in, and I just thought I was getting fat!" My mom chuckled. Her due date was right around the end of the school year.

"Well, is it a boy or a girl?" Finn asked, so excited his voice was fluctuating.

"It's a girl," My mom said, hugging me close.

"How did you not get all of the symptoms earlier?" I asked her, thoroughly confused. Her hand rested on her stomach.

"My doctor said that sometimes, not all the symptoms show. I never had many symptoms with you, either. Oh, Artie, I'm so excited," She gushed. Knowing now, my mom's baby bump was pretty noticable. Another sister. I couldn't believe it.

After Finn was dropped off at the school, it was around 9:00. My dad was working late, past midnight. When I finally decided to go to bed, I couldn't sleep. Lying there, thoughts of my unborn sister swirled around my empty head. The box that Tina left was back in my room, reminding me of the empty hole in my chest. The news from my mom was great, but the hole still ached and burned around the edges. The pieces in the box leaned against my suit. Seeing these things, my prom fantasy replayed in my head over and over. At that moment, I knew I would get her back, I just had to.

**i tried :) more to come!**


	10. Floating

**sorry it's late :) power went out!**

Chapter 10: Floating

My alarm clock glowed nervously in my face. The numbers blinked at me. 12:34. Scattered thoughts sprinted thought my disorganized brain. Running my hands through my hair, I glanced over at my nightstand. My cell phone sat quietly, waiting to be in use. Stretching my tired arm as far as I could, I grabbed it. Flipping it open, the picture that greeted me spat in my face. I was smiling like an idiot as Tina lay her soft lips on my forehead. Her lips were puckered but still smiling. Her fingers were tangled in my hair. I sighed, annoyed, and flipped to my contacts. Finding Tina in the list, my clammy fingers fumbled for the "talk" button. My breath shaky, I raised the phone to my ear. Suddenly cold, I listened to the stinging rings.

"Hello?" A crackling voice answered, "Who is this? Hello?" Ripping the phone from my ear, I slammed the phone shut. I gasped for air. The words I wanted to say l were buried in the depths of my brain. Throwing the phone down on the table, I pulled the warm blanket up to my chin. I took some deep breaths and tried to get my heart rate back to normal. My bed seemed to swallow me up and silence the thoughts scattering around my head. A soft wind blew outside, lulling me to sleep.

My eyes flew open to the sound of my clock shrieking in my ears. Rubbing my sleepy face, I threw the covers off of me. I put on my glasses and pulled my wheelchair close to me. Putting on the brakes, I lifted myself into the chair. I shivered against the cold, metal bars. Throwing on a shirt, I got ready for school.

My mom babbled about baby plans, names, toys, bedding, even paint for the walls on the car ride to school. Trying to be supportive, I threw in a couple names. I was excited about a baby sister, don't get me wrong, but my mind was firmly planted in the situation last night. My stomach flipped around and tied itself in a squeezing knot. I flipped open my phone again, just to be greeted by the howling picture. I forgot what I opened it for and snapped it closed. My lips closed in a tight line. My mom gazed at me, confused, and chattered on. Finally pulled up to the school, only to be greeted by an excited Finn. He helped me out of the car as fast as he could.

"Hey, Mrs. Abrams!" Finn gushed, "How's the baby?"

"Perfect," My mom chuckled. Finn leaned over and put his face on my mom's stomach. She gasped and started to chuckle again.

"Whoa," Finn whispered, feeling my mom's protruding stomach. Finn drew in a quick breath and whipped his head away. He started jumping up and down, just like last night.

"She kicked!" Finn cried. My mom laughed at him, her sunny, golden hair bouncing as she giggled.

"What? Who kicked?" Kurt asked, walking over. He shifted his weight to his right leg, crossed his left arm over his stomach and held his right one by his face. Kurt was always so calm, so cool.

"The baby! Artie's mom's baby!" Finn said excitedly, "It's a baby girl!" Kurt gasped and grabbed my mom's hand.

"Congratulations! Whatcha gonna name her?" Kurt said, then started doing exactly what my mom did in the car.

"This. is. so. exciting," Finn whispered to me, watching Kurt babble on. It suprised me how excited Finn was over the whole situation.

"Can I-" Kurt started. My mom cut him off.

"Sure, you can touch my belly," My mom said, giggling away again. Kurt have a breathy laugh and leaned over like Finn did.

"Hi, baby," Kurt started talking to my mom's stomach, "You are going to be one happy baby. Your big brother is going to teach you how to be great in school and excell in video games. Finn is going to teach you how to play sports and I will teach you how to style your world," He added, chuckling again, "We will rule this world, just remember my voice, remember your new friend, Kurt." With that statement, a salty tear rolled down my mother's rosy cheek. Kurt gave her a huge hug.

"Thanks Kurt. Remember, if you need anything, I am there for you," My mom said, sniffling.

Giving me a hug and kiss, my mom drove away.

"I love your mom," Kurt added, looking at me.

"I do, too," I said, laughing.

Kurt pushed me into the school, giving Finn a break. Students bustled in the hallways and hugged like they haven't seen eachother in years.

"I think you should name her Violin, because girls are pretty like them," Finn said. He probably wasn't going to stop talking about the baby until she started school. Kurt looked at Finn like he was a martian. Looking ahead, I saw it again. Tina kissing Puck like it was her last kiss she would ever have. Puck moved his hands further down her back. Tina kept kissing him, but shifted her hands to move his back up. Kurt pushed my wheelchair faster past them.

"Kurt, it's okay," I told him. He looked down at me.

"It's not that, I'm scared of him," Kurt replied, pushing even faster. Passing them, Puck kissed Tina's neck, making her giggle loudly. The giggle slapped me in the face. I wanted so bad to go back and tell her how I felt, but I just couldn't. Puck was too tough and seeing her just took the words out of my mouth. At my locker, I overheard two hairy, tall boys talking about Puck.

"You'd think he's knocked up enough girls, huh?" one of them said. The breath rushed out of me like a balloon.

"What girl is it now?" the other one asked. I sat completley still, like it was going to change something.

"Santana. I can't believe it. Two cheerleaders in a row. Just don't tell anyone, no one knows," The first one replied. Breathing again, I chuckled under my breath. What's Puckerman going to do now? He He can't stay with Tina when he has another PREGNANT girl in his life. This piece of news was what I needed to get an edge on the neandrethal.

The day passed slowly until glee club rehearsal. Finn and Kurt met me beforehand.

"Where's Mercedes? I haven't seen her all day," I asked. Kurt groaned.

"It's weird without her, right? She had a dentist appointment," He said, frowning.

"I know. The day isn't the same without her fierceness," I replied, chuckling dryly. Going into rehearsal, I saw Tina and Puck sitting next to eachother, holding hands. They were looking into eachother's eyes and smiling. Gross.

"How is everyone? I hope you all have a song planned from your assignment," Mr. Schuester greeted us, reminding us of our songs. The assignment was to sing about love and peace. How cliche. Shyly, I raised my awkward hand.

"Artie, how are you doing? What's up?" He asked, friendly. He smiled at me sympathetically.

"Fine," I started, shooting a glare at Puck, "I just wanted to know if I could go first."

"Sure," Mr. Schue replied, waving a hand to the front. Everyone except Puck cheered for me. Tina started to, but stopped when she saw my pained face. Cueing the small band we had, music swirled around me. The first few words escaped my lips, first quietly, but then booming, really meaning what I said. Tina stared at me, her mouth slightly open.

_Alright, Already we'll all float on, _

_ Don't you worry, we'll all float on,_

_ Alright, Already we'll all float on,_

_ Don't you worry, we'll all float on, _

_ Even if things end up a bit too heavy_

_ we'll all float on_

Finishing the song, Kurt and Finn cheered as loud as they could. Tina's face was twisted into a fake unimpressed look. Puck smirked at me. Being childish, I stuck my tounge out at him. He let out a breathy chuckle.

"Very good, Artie. I'm impressed. That was...powerful," Mr. Schue said, "Who's next!"

"Me!" Tina called, her voice like wind chimes.

"Alright, Tina!" Mr. Schue called, clapping his hands. She stood up, grabbing Puck's hand. He came up with her. He grabbed a stool and guitar, ready to perform. Light notes started to fill the silence. Along with the notes, Tina opened her mouth to sing. Magic wrapped around me as her beautiful chiming voice pierced the air. All eyes were on her as she sang the gorgeous tunes. Most of the time, she watched me, pain in her eyes.

_When we get to the ocean, we're gonna take a boat to the end of the world_

_ All the way to the end of the world_

_ When the kids are old enough, we're gonna teach them to fly!_

_ You and me together, we can do anything, baby,_

_ Yeah, Yes,_

_ You and me together, we can do anything, baby._

I looked like a complete idiot staring at her, my mouth hung open, convinced she was singing to me. She finished the song, hugging Puck close and moving her stool. She smiled at me and sat down. We all cheered rabidly.

"You blew me away, Tina! Way to go!" Mr. Schue cheered. That song was for me. I know she still felt the same feelings for me as I did for her. The melodies that crashed over me were meant just for that. After she finds out the piece of news I have hidden, she will be mine for sure, I can just feel plot I had cooking up, if well executed, would work out perfectly. Guilt surged through me again, and I realized I was being awfully self-centered. God, why did I have to have such a nice concience?

While I sat there plotting, four devistating words smashed my heart.

"I love you, Puck," Tina said, dreamily. Here we go again.

**ooooooh what's gonna happen (dun dun dunnn) more to come!**


	11. Fly

**spread your wings and fly :)**

Chapter 11: Fly

Scattered, smashed pieces of my heart swirled around my empty chest. Love. The word that was told to me again and again, now meaningless. Love, just hanging in the air. All four letters. All four, broken, ugly letters. Puck shot me a mocking glare that spit in my eye. Tina rested her frail hand on Puck's wide chest, snuggling up to him. Puck leaned back in his chair, chewing his gum loudly and arching his eyebrow. I crossed my arms around my twisted stomach and scowled.

"Hey," Finn whispered to me, "It's okay." I nodded with my lips smashed together. Kurt nodded to me sympathetically. Finishing up the songs, we all started to chatter excitedly about song choices as a group. I wasn't in the mood to group discuss with anyone. Finn glanced over at me once in a while, making sure I wasn't broken yet.

"Where's Santana?" Tina asked curiously as we discussed. I snorted. 11 pairs of eyes turned to me. I shrugged my shoulders inconspicuously. Gradually, each set of suspicious eyes flickered away from my face. Santana was probably somewhere crying about the pregnancy.

I struggled through the rest of the practice, avoiding Puck and Tina the best I could. Occasionally, I saw Quinn gaze over at Puck longingly. Puck would look back, a spark ignited behind his muddy brown eyes. Quinn would touch her stomach once in a while. She had already given birth to her baby. The coach of Vocal Adrenaline adopted her beautiful baby, who she named Beth. Quinn had Beth about two weeks too soon. After Beth was born, Quinn didn't come to school for a couple days. The trauma of giving up the baby that caused her so much pain over 8 1/2 months really got to her. Quinn still loved Puck, just like I still loved Tina.

When glee club came to a close, I lingered at my locker and waited for Puck to leave Tina at hers. Puck gave Tina a quick kiss and walked out the door of the school. Tina leaned against her locker until Puck was well out of sight. She turned around, raised her hand to her face and wiped his kiss away from her face. Balancing on the tips of her nimble toes, Tina reached up into the beige locker to get her things. I rolled over to her quickly.

"Santana's pregnant," I blurted out next to her. Slamming her locker closed, she turned to me.

"WHAT?" She started, "YOU GOT SANTANA PREGNANT?" Her face crazy, she grabbed on my shoulders.

"No, no, no! Puck did! Why do you think she wasn't in glee?" I replied to her, my brain shaken. Tina scoffed.

"Yeah, right. Look, Artie, I know you still have feelings for me, and I probably will always have some feelings for you, but you don't have to lie to me! Puck already knocked up one girl, why would he do it again? Dammit, Artie, why can't you just tell me what you really feel instead of lying to me?" Tina raged. She crossed her arms.

"Fine. I love you, Tina. I always will. If you really knew how much I think about you, maybe things would be different. I am not lying, though. I heard a bunch of people talking about it near my locker. She's pregnant!" I yelled back.

"Who's pregnant?" Santana asked, walking past us. My lips glued together. She looked normal, face fine, stomach juist as fit as it usually was. Tina glared at me, and shifted her weight to one foot. She smashed her lips together in a hard line.

"Artie here says you are! He says you're pregnant and it's Puck's!" Tina said, still glaring, eyes as sharp as knives. My face burned with embarassment. Consider plan backfired.

"WHAT?" Santana shrieked, truly confused. She shook her head angrily and pulled back her arm. Coming at me as fast as she could, Santana's hand hit my face, smashing my head against the side of my wheelchair. I turned my head back, a blotchy, red mark across my face.

"Are you kidding me? ME! PREGNANT! Do you think I am some kind of loose slut? Granted, I have hooked up with almost every guy in this school, but I don't go and get myself pregnant! Jeez, Wheels, if anyone wasn't about to be judgy, I think it would be you!" Santana raged. I sat there, ashamed. I felt like such an ass, believing those terrible rumors. Santana gripped onto the books she had and stormed away, growling. Tina turned to me, tapping her foot.

"Look, Tina, I didn't make it up. I heard it from other people! It's them, not me! I only did this so I could be with you! I miss you, Tina, and I truly do love you with all of the broken pieces of my heart," I tried to explain. Stuttering more than anything, I hung my head, gazing up at her. Tina's eyes softened a bit and uncrossed her arms. "I'm really sorry, Artie. I didn't know I hurt you so much. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your position. I still have feelings for you, Artie, but I am with Puck, and I am happy," Tina explained, the rims of her soft eyes reddening with tears.

"Why did you let me go?" I asked her, my eyes welling up a bit, too.

"I just felt like we needed a break, you know? Like we have all this time in high school and we have to expand our minds, let other people in! We will have a chance again, Artie, I believe so, but not now," Tina crackled, her voice broken. Her heels clicked away, sobbing lightly.

"Tina," I whispered, my words falling on deaf ears. I rested my elbows on my knees and rested my head in my tired hands. Slow steps approached me.

"Artie?" A high voice asked me. Quinn.

"No, it's the muffin man," I replied, sarcastic. I sniffled and wiped my eyes. Quinn chuckled dryly.

"What's going on?" She asked, concerned. She walked to the front of me and sat cross-legged on the dirty, scuffed floor, "Talk to me." I told Quinn the story of everything, from the break-up until now. Quinn nodded, teared up, smiled, frowned and just reacted to my whole story.

"I feel your pain, Artie. I still love Puck. With the whole baby drama, everything just fell apart. I got kicked off the Cheerios, Finn left me, Puck left me, Santana, who by the way is not pregnant, has been off and on friends with me, my grades suffered, just everything. Look, Artie, I want to help you, but I am a girl, too. When I get my life built back up, I don't want anyone to meddle and tear it down. Let Tina choose what's right for her. It will be worth it. Puck is a player. He can't stay with one girl. Judging by how fast things are going, she will be away from him soon after prom. He goes out with a girl, keeps her close, makes her fall in love with him, and kicks her to the curb. She will come back to you. You are a great guy," Quinn said, resting her hand on my knee. I tried so hard to feel the sweet gesture, but failed. No matter how hard it was to hear that, she was right. I hated the fact that Puck would hurt her, but she wasn't mine anymore. I had to let her explore, like both of them said. Quinn stood up, her blonde hair bouncing. Hugging me close, she walked away, her yellow converse softly clicking on the floor. I smiled at her as she left, letting her know I understood.

I had to let Tina fly, and I had to fly, too. With the my new sister coming and prom coming up, I had to do some flying soon.

**let's see what happens nexxttttt! more to comeeee **


	12. Notes

**i'm sorry i didn't post yesterday. forgive me? :)**

Chapter 12: Notes

Who am I kidding? I can't unglue my mind from Tina long enough to do homework, let alone find someone else. I could never kick Tina out of my life for someone else. The box of memories still sleeping on my floor made sure every day that I never forgot Tina and our beautiful relationship. Prom was in approaching quickly. The date set for next Friday, I couldn't escape her grip. Tina's tear-filled eyes were burned into my memory.

After Quinn left me alone in the hall, I had to cry. The words were so painful to hear. Eventually, I pulled myself together and wheeled myself out of the doors. My dad was waiting in our van, tapping his fingers. A smile stretched across his bearded face when he saw me, which was quickly erased by concern. He helped me into the van wordlessly and sat back in his seat.

"Artie, what's going on?" He asked, watching me in the mirror.

"You already know, it's just, it gets worse everyday," I replied, replaying the awkward moments I cried to my dad about Tina. My dad nodded, not lingering on the subject. My dad was easy to talk to. He knew exactly when to stop talking about something. He cleared his throat.

"So, mom tells me you are going to prom," My dad said to me, glancing back.

"Yeah, I'm going with friends," I told him, looking at the floor.

"Who?" He inquired, making conversation.

"Mercedes, Kurt and Finn," I replied and looked up. He ruffled his eyebrows.

"Finn? Isn't Finn that football player that tormented you?" My dad said, confused.

"It's all good, he apologized. He is a cool guy," I said back, reasuring that we were friends. Me and Finn were actually really good friends now, best bros for life. I snorted, remembering the comment.

"That's nice. You are lucky, y'know, being a forgiving guy. I wouldn't have let him off so easy," My dad said, making a fist. He laughed a deep, bellowing laugh. I rolled my eyes. We chatted about school for the rest of the way home. Talking to my dad was so natural and easy, we were always on the same page.

The days leading to prom felt like a dream. I floated through school, not being able to forget Tina and Puck. Finn, Kurt, Mercedes and I hung out every day after school and he stayed the weekend. They understood me well, and I understood them. Having friends on my side made my life a whole lot easier.

Friday night, Mercedes, Finn and I all went to Kurt's house to get ready for prom. Kurt's house was hard to get into. There was several staircases to climb, so Finn got a workout. Mercedes towed our suits behind her, irritated we were taking so long. Finn got me situated back into my chair when we reached the bottom of Kurt's stylish staircase. Everything in his room screamed "fashion".

"Welcome to my humble abode," Kurt said, waving a hand to his room. The whole room was black and white, dotted with mirrors. It reminded me of a prestigious hair salon. Mercedes squeezed past Finn and I to a chair. She threw down our suits and pulled her dress out of the pile. It was sheathed in a white bag. The plastic rustled as she pulled it gently away. Kurt handed Mercedes a small, black makeup bag and she plopped down in front of a makeup mirror.

"Want help?" Kurt asked Mercedes, sitting down next to her. Mercedes nodded her head and handed him a curling iron. Kurt plugged it in and started to curl the ends of Mercedes perfect black hair. Kurt looked up at Finn.

"You guys can get dressed if you want. The bathroom is down that way," Kurt said, pointing to a short hallway. Finn reached his hand down to grab the suits and I pushed myself down the hall. A huge, shiny bathroom greeted us at the end.

"You can get dressed first," Finn said, setting my suit gently on to my paralyzed lap.

"I am going to need a bit of help getting the pants on," I told him, gazing up warily. Finn nodded and waited outside of the bathroom. I entered the room and shut the door slowly. I tore open the clear, plastic bag that surrounded my suit. Taking my shoes, socks, pants and shirt off, I started to re-dress. I buttoned the inricate patterns of buttons on the undershirt, vest and jacket. Strapping the bright yellow bowtie around my neck was the last of the easy parts. Lifting my lifless leg with my hands, I guided it through the grey leg hole. I did the same with the other, pulling the pants up to where the seat of my wheelchair started.

"Finn," I called, still tugging on the pants. Finn opened the door and laughed at me.

"Flowers? Come on, man," Finn giggled, referring to my ugly boxers. I could feel the embarassment spreading across my face.

"Shut up, my mom hasn't done laundry in a while," I replied, trying to cover them up with my hands. Shaking his head, Finn put his hands under my armpits. He counted down from 3 and lifted me up slightly. As quick as I could, I pulled the pants up all the way. I fastened them quickly.

"Thanks, man," I thanked Finn. He laughed again as I finished adjusting myself.

"No problem, flower queen," Finn replied, pushing me out of the room.

"Go get dressed," I growled jokingly and pushed myself down the hall. Kurt was still twisting Mercedes' hair feverishly. Mercedes' brushed color on her eyes gently, trying not to mess it up. Kurt smiled at me.

"You look nice, Artie, except for your awful hair," He said. I ran my fingers through it.

"It's not awful," I chuckled, ruffling it.

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Kurt replied, nodding. I moved over to one of the mirrors and shifted myself into the white chair.

"Damn, Artie, you have some upper body strength," Mercedes' said, wowed. I flexed jokingly.

"Lots of practice," I replied, smiling. Finn walked out of the bathroom and bounced into the room.

"Do I look sexy?" Finn chuckled, running his hands down his suit. We all wooped and clapped, kidding around. Kurt finished Mercedes' intricate curls and turned to me. He studied my hair with his hand on his chin. Suddenly, his face lit up and he bounded toward the bathroom. Muffled clanging sounds filled the air. Kurt ran back with his arms filled with gels and sprays. Kurt then went to work on my hair, pulling on the roots to shape it. The cold gel ran through my hair. When Kurt was finished, it was swept to the side, looking like a professional did it.

"That's amazing," I said, blown away. I reached up my hand to touch it and Kurt smacked it away.

"Don't touch it! I know, years of practice," Kurt said, running his hands through his. Kurt messed Finn's face, too. When he was finished with us, I have to say, we looked attractive. Mercedes finished her make-up and hair, too. She looked really nice, her eyes and mouth framed with the light make-up. Mercedes stood up quickly, running to go put on her dress. Kurt went to go get dressed, too. His hair was finished already, ready to go except for the suit. Shuffling sounds came from the bathroom and Mercedes emerged from it. Her dress was really pretty, a shiny, blue, long dress with straps that connected behind her neck. Kurt had a simple suit, deep black and dramatic, matching his room.

"We all look amazing. My dad wants pictures. Back upstairs we go!" Kurt demanded. I moved myself back into my cold wheelchair. Finn helped me up the stairs while Kurt and Mercedes raced ahead. Reaching the top, we went out onto the lawn. My parents, Finn's mom and Mercedes' parents were there, too. Cameras snapped furiously at us. All of our parents gushed and took more pictures. Once the pictures were done, we piled into our van. It was nothing special, so we didn't rent a limo. In the car, we discussed plans for after prom. We were all going to Quinn's party afterward. My stomach tied itself into knots thinking about Tina. I wondered if she would look as beautiful as I imagined in my fantasy. I wondered if Puck would take my place in that fantasy. I wondered if everything would be in place for her and she would be happy.

"I think Artie is going to be stealing all the ladies tonight," Finn said, shaking me from my painful thoughts. It was funny, but I didn't feel like laughing. There was only one girl I wanted, and that's Tina.

My mom pulled up to the hotel the prom was being held at, the nicest hotel in the whole area. How did the class afford to pay for this? My mom waved to us as we entered, twinkling lights dressing the doors. Several kids I recognized lounged near the entrance. We prepayed to get in, so we showed the registration people our tickets and passed through the red ropes that held us up. We entered a gorgeous, dressed up ballroom filled with people. The deep red carpet was lined with tables that were covered in twinkling, fake candles. A slow song was swirling around the immense room. People rested their hands on eachother, dancing romantically to the soft music. Looking through the crowd, the air escaped from my . Her hair was pulled back, resting on her neck, held together with a metallic silver clip. Her bangs hung loosely on the sides of her head. Large, hoop earrings hung down from her ears. Her dress was a silky, sky blue. It hung down past her knees. Her nails were still colored black and her make-up was dark, too. She looked truly amazing. My mouth hung open in awe. She was staring into Puck's eyes, dancing in circles. My head spun. My whole body wished I was in his place, staring into her beautiful, sparkling eyes. Finn groaned.

"I hate that Jesse kid more and more every time I see his stupid face," He said, clenching his hands into fists. I patted his back.

"I feel your pain, man, I feel your pain," I mumbled angrily. Finn loosened his tight hands.

"Sorry, dude," He replied, glancing at me. Mercedes walked into the room, gasping at the beauty. The song changed to an upbeat pop song. Kurt bowed to Mercedes and stuck out his hand jokingly.

"May I have this dance?" He asked in a terrible British accent. Mercedes giggled and grabbed his hand. Finn laughed and we followed them. We danced all together under the sparkling lights of the dim ballroom. Laughing and dancing, we had a good time.

"Am I tired or what?" Kurt said, "Let's go get a drink." Following Kurt, we sat down at a vacant table. White lillies rested in a vase in the center of the tables along with the electronic candles. Glasses of water were delivered to our table by a tall boy that worked in the hotel.

"This is really nice," Mercedes mentioned, "It was a good idea to go as a group." Kurt nodded and started discussing different girls in our school and their dresses.

I gazed back over to Tina. Puck's face was crumpled in pain. I had never seen such a weird sight before. Tina was relaxed, talking to him gently. Tina pulled out of Puck's arms and walked away. Puck stood there, dumbfounded. Tina walked out of the ballroom. Finn looked over at me, confused. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, don't just sit there, go after her!" Finn encouraged, patting my shoulder. I smiled at him eagerly and rolled out. I saw Tina clicking down the hallway and pushing the front doors open agressivley. I rolled as fast as I could. My hand slipped and I accidently elboewd myself in the lower stomach. A crinkling sound came from my pocket as I moved my hand away. Stopping, I shoved my hand into my small pocket. A note was inside.

_You're gonna want this._

_ ~Finn_

Finn's handwriting was scrawled on the top. A paperclip attached Finn's note to a different one. Un-clipping it, I read the note. It was the note I gave to Tina when I asked her out. I chuckled silently to myself and pushed myself outside. Tina was sitting silently in the pavillion outside of the hotel. Twinkling lights dressed up the outside of it. A small garden decorated the entrance. A small ramp sat outside of the wooden pavillion. I rolled myself in quietly. Tina stared out at a sparkling fountain.

"I'm sorry, Tina," I started, but was cut off. Tina stood up and threw her arms around me.

"I feel like such a fool, Artie. I broke your heart looking for something that was always right here," She said, grasping me tighter. Tina pulled away and started to wipe a few stray tears from her face. My hand stopped her.

"Don't. It's okay, Tina," I replied, wiping the tears for her. She breathed a small laugh.

"I can't believe myself. Puck was never and never will be for me. I broke up with him," Tina told me, smiling, "You look really handsome, Artie." I smiled back at her and dug through my pocket. Taking out the note, I grabbed Tina's fragile hand. I put the note inside of it and closed her fingers around it.

"You look stunning," I replied, letting go of her hand. The shining lights twinkled in her eyes. She unfolded it slowly and gasped. She scanned the note quickly, folding it gently.

"I missed you, so, so, so, much," She told me, grabbing onto my shaking hands. I smiled proudly at her.

"More than you'll ever know," I replied. She bent over and kissed me lightly on the forehead, meaning more than anything she could have done then.

"We should get back in there," Tina groaned, turning toward the hotel entrance. I grabbed onto her side and pulled her on my lap. Giggling wildy, she shifted to face me and touched her soft lips to mine. Suddenly, we rose off the ground into the clouds. We spun around uncontrollably. Lingering for just a bit, we pulled away slowly, drifting back to Earth.

"Whoa," Tina sighed, beaming. With that, we rolled back into the noisy building.

Entering the ballroom, Finn ran over to us. Rachel was hanging on his big hand. Rachel was chatting away about _Hairspray_ on Broadway. We both smiled at eachother and high fived.

"Well, prom's almost over, and Quinn bailed on the party idea," Finn informed us. Tina groaned.

"What are we going to do now?" Tina chimed.

"We could go to my house," I suggested, "My mom wouldn't mind if it's just you guys, Kurt and Mercedes."

"What about Kurt and Mercedes?" Kurt said, running over, elbows hooked with Mercedes. Finn chuckled.

"We're going to Artie's," Finn told them, smiling. Mercedes drew her eyebrows together in confusion.

"We'll explain on the way back," I told her, grasping onto Tina's hand. Mercedes nodded and we all headed out of the hotel into the sparkling darkness once again.

**i'm thinking one more chapter to wrap this up. thoughts?**


	13. Watery

**if it weren't for you guys, i wouldn't have finished this :) thank you :)**

Chapter 13: Watery

Tina loosely intertwined her thin fingers with mine as we sat in my dad's van. Our van was the largest, being a handicapped van. Mercedes shuffled through the small bag she was carrying, which looked like it had clothes in it. Kurt, Tina and Finn all had a bag with them for after prom. Rachel said she left hers at home. Finn told her he'd share with her, whatever that meant. My dad squirmed in the drivers seat, trying not to talk. A stiff silence hung in the air. Tina drew soft circles on my gloved hand with her thumb. My dad cleared his throat awkwardly.

"How was prom?" My dad finally blurted, not being able to hold his words in any longer. Murmurs came from the back seat. I could make out "good", "sweet", "pretty cool" and an "awesome". More awkward silence divided us. Tina started to pick at the frayed edges of my bright, yellow gloves. Rachel moved around uncomfortably.

"I want a grilled cheese," Finn declared, abruptly. Rachel giggled and fiddled with the buttons on his suit jacket. I didn't exactly know why Rachel was sitting on the seat of my van right now. She seemed pretty content with Jesse. Maybe he left her for another girl, who knows? Jesse always seemed weird to me. I didn't really care about Rachel's personal life. She bothered me beyond anyone ever could. It was like sawing off your own ear everytime you saw her. But, still, I had to be happy for Finn. He got his woman back, just like I did, and I had Finn to thank. A heavy, thick silence suffocated us and not another word was spoken for the rest of the ride.

Once my dad pulled up into our driveway, Tina let go of my hand reluctantly and the van cleared as quickly as possible. Tina, Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel and my dad filed into my house. Finn was left outside, helping me out.

"Wow, tonight worked out pretty well for us, huh?" I said, looking at Finn. His expression was priceless, trying to unfold the metal wheelchair, "What happened with Rachel and Jesse anyway?" Finn's head snapped up from the chair.

"Man, I was lu-cky," He started, breaking "lucky" into two parts, "There I was, sitting there at the table after you left and I spotted Rachel dancing with Jesse. Next thing I know, Jesse is getting all touchy-feely on Rachel," Finn continued, using dramatic hand movements to describe the action, "Rachel was getting angry and was pushing Jesse's hands away, but he just kept putting them back, harder and harder. Finally, Rachel slapped him in the face, he looks all mad and runs away. Then, I go over to Rachel, and she wants me back. Kind of crazy, but I can live with it."

"Wow, man. That's crazy. Tina just went outside of the hotel into the pavillion and she wants _me_ back. I couldn't believe it. That's why she broke up with Puck. In all seriousness, I think I love her," I replied, fiddling with the loose strings on my gloves again. Finn smiled.

"That's really deep, dude," Finn told me, grinning, finally getting my chair unfolded. He helped me transfer into it and we joined the rest of our friends in the house.

My dad cleared his throat again when we all were inside. He grasped onto the keys in his hands.

"Uhm, I think I am going to visit your Aunt Kathie with your mom, we'll see you guys later," My dad said, using any excuse to get out of this awkward predicament. "You kids be good, stay out of trouble, now," My mom said as she waved to us, leaving, clutching onto my dad's burly hand. We all sat silently until the car left the driveway.

"Oh, thank God," Kurt said, "That was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. Finn let out a deep breath. Tina tangled her fingers in mine again, smiling down at me.

"Are you guys hungry? I know we ate at the prom, but the food kind of sucked. I didn't eat much," I asked, responding to Finn's growling stomach. Finn beamed.

"OH YES," Finn exclaimed, waving his hand in the air.

"Me too," The whole room replied in unison.

"Grilled cheese?" I asked again, remembering Finn's random outburst in the car ride. Scattered postive response came from everyone. I had to laugh at Finn, smiling as wide as he could. Kurt decided to plug in his iPod to the large stereo in the living room. My sister used to be a dancer, so the stereo was helpful for dancing in the large living room. Mercedes decided to go take a shower, first in line of people who wanted to, as well. I rolled into the kitchen after getting everyone settled to start cooking. My mom went through a craze of renovating the kitchen to be completley accessable for me, including a super low stove in addition to a normal sized one and a low sink. I could reach everything in that kitchen, even if it was a bit uncomfortable for my family. Tina followed me in after she finished changing into normal clothes. Her hair was still pulled back how it was during prom, but her makeup was washed off. I have to say, Tina looks gorgeous when she is natural. Tina's beauty radiated from her like sunshine warming up a cold day. She leaned against the kitchen counter as I took things down from shelves rapidly.

"I can't believe I hurt you so much," Tina mumbled, partly to herself. I turned to look at her.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"All of your pain...it's my fault, I mean, I got you into an accident, putting you in the hospital, got you pushed down a hill in a port-o-potty, got you thrown down the hallway by Puck, got you slushied, not to mention the emotional-" Tina listed, counting on her fingers. I stopped her flurry of words by grabbing on to her counting hand.

"Stop. Stop pitying me. Everything that happened, I got myself into. I don't need you feeling bad for something that wasn't your fault," I told her, partly lying. I felt bad for the lie, but I didn't want her feeling bad for something that was in my past now. I shuddered, remembering the awful smell, the memories of the car accident when I was little as I rolled down the hill, faster and faster, liquid sloshing around me, my wheelchair clanking around. I stopped and shook myself from the appalling memories. Tina opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off.

"Look, nothing matters now except for that we are together, right? I really do love you, Tina, and I mean it," I told her, frightened by the truth of my own words. A smile stretched across Tina's perfect face. She grabbed both of my hands loosely.

"Right. I am really falling for you Artie, and you are making it hard not to fall in love with you," She replied, grinning.

Tina and I made grilled cheeses as fast as we could, trying to assemble enough for everyone. We used 2 full loaves of bread, cooking about 20 sandwiches. Tina balanced the large serving plate on her thin hands. I carried the rest of the juice boxes left over from when Finn came over the first time on my feelingless lap. We ate, drank juice boxes, danced, and watched a few movies. Rachel's dads picked her and Finn up after they ate. Kurt and Mercedes decided to stay and fell asleep on the soft couch about halfway through _Juno_. Tina picked it out, it was her favorite movie. I leaned against the armrest of the loveseat and Tina rested against me, just like old times. Eventually, we both fell asleep as well, hands still intertwined like they belonged.

After prom, the months passed more quickly than ever. Tina and I were still glued to eachother, puzzle pieces that matched. The end of the year crept up on both of us like unsuspecting prey.

"I am so glad the year is almost done. I am so sick of this crap," Tina whispered one day in Geography, referring to a review packet for finals. I laughed silently at her. Abruptly, my phone vibrated in my sweatshirt pocket. A text from my dad.

** moms in labor, in the office to pick u up.**

My breath whooshed out of me. Happiness spread through me like a virus. I turned to Tina and showed her the text. Tina gave me a quick hug and kissed me on the cheek.

"Mr. Abrams?" Mr. Reeve, the teacher adressed me.

"Mr. Reeve, I have to go, my dad is in the office to get me," I replied, talking so fast my words didn't make sense. The old teacher nodded, stroking his large, grey beard. I rolled myself to my locker, packed up my stuff and power wheeled to the office. My dad was waiting for me, tugging on a loose string on his sweater. His face lit up when he spotted me.

"Artie, we gotta go!" My dad said excitedly, grabbing onto my handlebars.

"Steven?" The nurse adressed my dad, holding out a sign-out paper. My dad scribbled my name and the time furiously on the paper and ran out the door.

We rushed to the hospital and found my mom's room.

"Artie," My mom said, contentedly when she saw me, "The doctors said about 30 minutes." My lips twisted to the side of my face, confused. Labor takes a little more than half an hour.

"We've been here since you left for school," My dad said, resolving my question. My mom lay in the bed, screaming suddenly from the pain. We talked for a while between contractions, even though it was hard for my mom to talk through the sheer pain. She was sweating and panting.

"Judy Abrams?" A woman walked in with a clipboard. My mom nodded, "Let's see what's going on here." I turned away and stared at the wall as the nurse fiddled with the tubes and checked to see if everything was going well.

"I think your little girl is ready to be born," The nurse said happily, calling in a group of doctors and a flurry of noises and cries came from behind me. I was too chicken to turn around. That's not anything I wanted to see. My mom's high scream pierced the air. Her breath quickened and she screamed some more. An unfamiliar, shrieking cry joined in the chorus of screams. My baby sister. The breathing slowed back down. Small groans still hung in the noisy room and my dad patted my shoulder, my cue to turn back around. The baby's cries chimed from across the room. Once they cleaned her off, she was settled into my mom's comforting arms.

"Karoline," My mom's exausted whisper carressed our ears. My dad breathed a silent laugh of approval. I rolled myself over to the beautiful baby. Karoline stared up at me with her big, watery blue eyes and smiled a toothless grin. My whole body fluttered with happiness. With a small yawn, Karoline closed her wide eyes. This little baby girl filled me up with all I was looking for. The moment I saw her, I loved her and knew I would do anything in the world to protect her, no matter what happened. A few tears escaped my excited eye in pure delight. My dad rubbed my back gently, comforting me. He smiled at me, the widest smile I have ever seen.

Soon after, the nurse from earlier took Karoline to the nursery and told us she could come home in a couple of days. I didn't know if I could wait that long, but I could try. Tina came over after the hospital visit. I gushed about the baby and how beautiful she was. Tina listened intently. She traced the lines in my bare hands as we sat on the couch together. She didn't mind listening. A cheerful rain fell in the dark and I knew that life would be good for us. Tina rested her tired head against my shoulder and sang quietly.

_Don't you worry, we'll all float on._

**Did you like it? Thanks for all the reviews, nice comments, subscriptions, everything. does anyone have any suggestions for stories?**


End file.
